What Are Used Wood Pallets Good for, Anyway?

Wherever there are goods transferred from factory to warehouse to retail outlet, there are pallets that help get those goods moved safely and securely.  That's a lot of pallets!

What are pallets good for once they're empty?  What happens to them once the goods are unloaded?

1)  Return to Sender - Many large retailers have agreements with their suppliers to return all the used pallets on a regular basis.  The retailer will store empty pallets until the next delivery comes in.  Then they send the pallets back to the manufacturer to be re-used.

2)  Give Away - Wooden pallets have become a popular material for home improvements and creative decorating.  The best places for these folks to get used pallets are smaller businesses.  A small, local business that doesn't receive a lot of regular shipments of goods probably doesn't have an agreement to send those pallets back.  In that situation, the retailer may welcome the opportunity to free up storage space, and do it without cost.

3)  Disposal - To save storage space, some retailers destroy their pallets as soon as they're emptied.  The pallets are broken into small pieces and thrown in the trash.  Some wooden pallets are broken apart and burned.

4)  Sell It! - Some companies make money by finding out where to sell pallets.
A pallet recycling center may accept pallets in any condition, even broken ones.  Pallets in good condition can be re-used as-is right away.  When a pallet is in poor condition, its better parts can be re-purposed into a new pallet which can then be resold at a discounted price to the next user.